GUTA Strongly Opposes Government’s Plan to Restrict Imports, Citing Lack of Clarity and Transparency

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has strongly opposed the government’s intention to limit the importation of 22 selected goods into the country. The Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond, aims to introduce a Legislative Instrument in Parliament to control the importation of items like rice, poultry, sugar, and tripe, among others. This initiative aims to boost local production but has faced backlash from the Minority Caucus in Parliament and industry stakeholders due to the mandatory import permits.

During his appearance before the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Dr. Joseph Obeng, President of GUTA, emphasized the necessity for Ghana to achieve self-sufficiency in food production before implementing such policies. Dr. Obeng raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding the criteria for determining which products would face restrictions. He stated that instead of obstructing trade, a complete ban on specific products would be more transparent for traders.

In his address, Dr. Obeng questioned the criteria specifying the threshold for product restriction, whether it’s set at 60 percent or 40 percent of production. He highlighted the absence of comprehensive information on this matter, suggesting that imposing restrictions solely because of the demand for imports is unnecessary and unjust.